As someone that appreciates coffee, you probably know that coffee can be roasted to different levels and that different roasts yield different taste experiences in your cup.
Typically, our go-to brew methods according to the coffee's roast level are:
- Light roast - Pour Over, Aeropress, French Press, Filter
- Medium Roast - Espresso Machine, Pour Over, Aeropress, French Press, Filter
- Dark Roast - Espresso Machine, French Press
However, this isn't set in stone and we've compiled some guidance below that will help you, find the roast that’s right for you and your taste preferences.
From light to dark roast, here goes...
Light Roasts Tastes of - fruit, floral, herbal
A light roast allows the full spectrum of natural coffee flavours to shine, with a light roast, you can expect fruity and floral tasting notes, bright acidity, and less body than you get with darker roasts. Whatever makes a given coffee unique will be clearly evident with a light roast.
Ready to try our light roast:
"The Donkey Sanctuary" Yirgacheffe Ethiopia
Medium Roast. Tastes of - caramel, light cocoa, subtle berry & citrus,
Sometimes a high-quality coffee will be roasted in a medium-range to give it more body and create a more balanced cup. When done well, you should still get most of the characteristics that make a given coffee special, but with an added sweetness and less acidity!
Ready to try our medium roast coffees:
"Two Can Dance" Single origin Brazil
"Jumping for Gold" Single origin Colombia
Dark Roast. Tastes of – dark chocolate, nut, caramel hints
Dark roast coffees work great when brewed using a filter method and espresso method.
Most speciality coffees won’t be roasted too dark, as that masks the natural and sometimes subtle flavours that make the coffee high-grade.
However, a dark roast does result in low acidity and heavy body, with lots of chocolatey and nutty flavours. If you find a great roaster, a dark roast can be delicious, especially with some cream or as espresso in a latte.
If you’re looking for a dark roast, definitely choose a single-origin bag—it’s a good sign that the beans won’t be over-roasted, just dark enough to get that smooth, heavy-bodied effect that some coffee lovers crave.
Ready to try our dark roast coffee:
"Little Red Riding Hood" Brazil Single Origin
One thing to note: there’s no single standard for what constitutes a “light roast” or a “dark roast,” so your experience could vary across different roasters. For our purposes, assume that “light roast” coffee beans are light brown in colour and dry on the surface, while “dark roast” beans are very dark brown/black and slightly oily; medium roast is somewhere in the middle.
